Ticklish my husband and i had a simmilar Brown Thumb reputation in our family.

We have just done over our front yard and I must say it looks fantastic and 8 months later it is not only still alive but thriving.

I suggest that you go to your local nursery and talk to them about your requirements and be honest about your level of commitment to care (in my house we are LAZY when it comes to this stuff)...

I have a great plant called a hebe which the nursery told us was basically a self reliant plant all I had to do was plant and it would grow - and it has..

I also planted roses as they are relatively low care and we have beautiful flowers on them - just spray them for afids and black spott and dead head them and they have trippled in size..

You also need to take into drought tolerance..

One more thing it surprised me at how expensive it can work out...

Oh Oh one more thing mulch like there is no tommorow as it stops (or really minimises) the dreaded WEEEEEDS!!!